Radiation Therapy, a Sense of Disgust or Fear, Radiation and Medical Treatment, Correct Knowledge of Radiation, Patient's Standpoint, Radiation Education
In Japan, cancer treatment is expected to continue increasing as the number of elderly
people increases. Since surgery is a heavy physical burden for the elderly, pain after
operation and exhaustion of physical fitness are major problems in quality of life. On the
other hand, the number of radiation therapy cases is expected to increase because radiation
therapy is less invasive and reduces physical burden. However, there are many people who
have a sense of disgust or fear about radioactive materials and radiation because Japan is
the only country to have experienced atomic bombs and has experienced the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident caused by the Tohoku Earthquake.
In this study, we investigated the consciousness of these students about radiation in
Faculty of International Communication and Economics and Management as a student who
seems to have no opportunity to learn about radiation at universities, and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health and Medical Sciences as a medical science course
student.
The results suggest that both medical sciences students have knowledge about radiation
because they have an opportunity to learn about radiation, but those who have no
opportunity to learn about radiation are scared of radiation with vague knowledge. In
addition, in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, it was found that the difference in
radiation consciousness with radiological technologists was smaller in upper grade students.
On the other hand, many students in the Faculty of Humanities had a scary image of
radiation. From this, it can be considered that patients will become anxious about radiation
as the relationship between radiation and medical treatment further increases. It is
important that medical personnel such as pharmacists acquire correct knowledge of
radiation. We also think that there is a role to support treatment from the patient's
standpoint.